The benefits to having your own allotment plot are endless, as these chefs at BaxterStorey explain...
The positives of having your very own allotment plot are endless, from getting outside into the fresh air to making new friends and being part of a community, and, of course, enjoying cooking and eating your homegrown produce. If managed properly, an allotment can produce enough food to supplement your weekly shop, with fresh fruit and vegetables over the year.
Chefs at BaxterStorey, one of the UK’s leading hospitality providers, have created their own allotments to supply their kitchens. Encouraged to grow their own fresh ingredients, the allotments are a valuable resource and creates a feeling of immense pride.
Chris Dickson, keen gardener and head chef at the University of Cumbria, recently converted an overgrown patch into a herb garden at the University (pictured above).
‘We grow lots of different herbs, from chocolate mint and lemon balm to bronze fennel,' says Chris. 'I use the herb garden to train my young chefs on the different herb variations and how best to match them with dishes, which gives me that sense of joy and self-satisfaction. We always receive great feedback from customers about the freshness of the dishes too.'
Here, some of the green-fingered BaxterStorey team share their allotment stories...
'I have had my allotment in Morecombe for over six years now, and I intend to keep it for as long as I can,' says Chris. 'The aim was to create a productive plot, but also create a space for my family to be able to visit and enjoy. My daughter Maisy, eight, loves the idea that you can plant one potato seed and when the time comes to harvest them, they turn into about eight large potatoes! Maisy has her own section of the plot and grows onions and potatoes – I love seeing the enjoyment she gets from pottering about at the allotment.'
Chris grows over 27 types of fruit and veg, including asparagus, white currants, melon, garlic, gooseberries and Atlantic pumpkins.
'I love knowing the food I have grown has been raised from a tiny seed to the dinner plate, plus it helps reduce food miles and costs,' he explains. 'One 99p packet of seeds can grow up to 30 plants. My allotment only costs £30 per year, but I get around £500 worth of fresh produce from it every year! To me, there’s nothing better than growing your own – the quality outweighs the supermarket produce.'
'I have managed my location’s allotment for just over a year,' says Barbara, who gets joy from experimenting and growing new vegetables such as black tomatoes or yellow cucumbers. 'The great thing about having an allotment is all the positive engagement you receive from customers. Our customers get to go outside and see the vegetables growing from scratch.
'We grow cherry tomatoes, radishes, spring onions and chillies and hope to invest in a compost heap in the future.'
'We grow all sorts on site, from courgettes, peaches and chard to heritage carrots and beetroot,' says Craig. 'The allotment was just an empty plot next to the kitchen. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would create interest for our clients and customers which is what inspired me to start growing my own.'
Craig says the customer feedback has been hugely positive. 'They get excited when they know the produce for our "Dressed" salad range is being grown just outside the window,' he says. 'I love to try new things with my allotment – I’ve surrounded the beds with beer traps and coffee grounds for protection against slugs.'
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